From Muhammad Ahmad Saka, in Bauchi
The Bauchi State Commissioner, Ministry of Natural Resources and Solid Minerals, Alhaji Mohammed A Bello, and the Gombe State Commissioner, Ministry of Energy and Solid Minerals, Alhaji Sanusi Ahmed Pindiga have separately made a case for the Federal Government to begin full-scale lifting of crude oil from the Kolmani Integrated Oil Field.
The Kolmani Oil Field has been bedeviled by back and forth since two years after its inauguration.
The two Commissioners gave the explanation when they interacted with journalists separately in their offices.
They said that anything solid minerals is under the exclusive list of the Federal Government, but that the Bauchi and Gombe State Governors are doing their best to ensure that the company responsible for the project returns to the site.
The Commissioners said the recent visit of the Crude Oil Monitoring Committee of the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) raised their hope in ending the delay in the actualisation of full-scale lifting of crude oil from the Kolmani Integrated Oil Field more than two years after its inauguration.
Bello said during their recent visit to the site, the company Starling Global returned some of his engines and equipment to the site which is a good signal that work will resume at the site.
He said already, the State Government is building the Alkaleri Academy where locals will be trained with all the skills needed by the oil exploration companies.
He said Governor Bala Mohammed will sponsor some people living around Kolmani to go and learn Chinese language in China to enable them work with Chinese firms that will work in the oil companies.
On his part, the Gombe State Commissioner of Energy and Solid Minerals, Pindiga said Governor Inuwa Yahaya has approved the construction of roads and provide all the needed infrastructure that will make the living condition of the communities in Kolmani area better.
The two commissioners assured that they are working to establish Host Communities Association so that through the associations, states will have a say in the project according to the law.
They assured of the continued holistic support of their state governors to see to the full actualization of the Kolmani Integrated Oil Field in the areas of security, social amenities and logistics.
You would recall that it is more than two years now after the oil field was inaugurated by the former President Muhammadu Buhari.
The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) in partnership with New Nigeria Development Company NNDC has drilled two oil blocks OPL809 and OPL810 at Kolmani.
The two blocks cut across neighbouring Bauchi and Gombe States.
NNPCL had engaged Sterling Global to continue with exploration, lifting crude oil and developing the Kolmani Oil Field.
During the RMAFCs visit, an engineer with Sterling Global, Abdulhamid Aminu said the present efforts are being channelled to drilling two additional wells that would feed the already drilled PL809 and OPL810 before the lifting of crude oil from the site would commence.
When pressed to give a probable timeline for the completion of the drilling of the two wells, Aminu said the two feeder wells should be ready by March next year.
He said Sterling Global would recruit about 13 staff from the local communities as part of its corporate social responsibility.
Aminu also identified areas of education and health for other social responsibility projects for the residents of the host communities.
The Minister of state for Petroleum, Heineken Lokpobiri had revealed recently that upon assumption of office, he found that the licence of the Kolmani oil works had expired, but revealed that it was renewed to pave way for resumption of exploration works.
